Representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation visited the Jones County Board of Commissioners last week to discuss a new bridge over Highway 49.

GDOT District Three designer Jason Mobley and project manager Adam Smith presented their concept for a replacement of the bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad at the May 21 meeting.

Smith said he and Mobley wanted to include the county commissioners in the plan. He said the GDOT is looking at the possibility of accommodating bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

“We are in the concept phase, and it is early in the design. The money just got released; the next step is the preliminary design. We have the survey already,” he said.

Mobley said the purpose of the project is to replace the existing bridge. He said they are looking toward the eventual widening of Highway 49 in that area to a four lane. He said the plan is to move the replacement bridge and later the road to the side of the current bridge.